Five Singapore firms agree to independent scrutiny over links to Indonesia fires, haze

A family looks out of a cabin on the Singapore Flyer in Singapore October 15, 2026, as haze caused by forest fires in Indonesia shrouds the country. — AFP pic

By Malay Mail

First Published: Sunday, 01 Nov 2026 11:20 AM MYT

SINGAPORE, Nov 1 — Five Singapore-registered companies potentially linked to fires in Indonesia that contributed to transboundary haze have agreed to independent assessments of their operations and supply chains, as Singapore intensifies efforts to establish corporate accountability for cross-border pollution.

The companies include some of the region’s biggest agribusiness players, whose complex ownership structures and plantation operations have come under scrutiny over fires that have repeatedly blanketed parts of South-east Asia in smoke.

Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA) said yesterday that representatives from Wilmar International, Golden Agri-Resources, APP Company, APP Company (China) and Indofood Agri Resources had agreed to engage independent assessors and cooperate with the review process, The Straits Times reported.

A sixth company, Kencana Agri, has indicated its willingness to participate voluntarily, with the agency planning a further meeting with its representatives.

Another company, First Resources, has publicly expressed its readiness to engage an investigation firm and a law firm to examine any potential connection to fires in Indonesia that contributed to the haze.

NEA said it was awaiting written confirmation from First Resources.

“The companies’ voluntary participation in the assessment process will help establish the facts, including whether the companies have any involvement in or connection with the fires in Indonesia that caused or contributed to transboundary haze affecting Singapore,” the agency said.

The development follows an October 28 closed-door meeting at which representatives of 10 Singapore firms that had received notices under the country’s Transboundary Haze Pollution Act were summoned to meet senior government officials.

The meeting was attended by Senior Minister K. Shanmugam, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong and Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu.

Shanmugam told the companies they would need to appoint specialists to investigate their operations, corporate relationships and supply chains, with the resulting audit reports submitted to the authorities.

The scrutiny reflects the difficulties of tracing responsibility for fires across national borders, particularly when plantation operations, subsidiaries and suppliers are spread across multiple jurisdictions.

Singapore announced the formation of a specialist panel on October 23 to conduct such inquiries. The panel is intended to draw on expertise in cross-border investigations, complex corporate structures and supply chain assessments.

Six firms and a senior lawyer were appointed to the panel on October 30.

The 10 companies issued notices were APP Company, APP Company (China), Bumitama Agri, Golden Agri International, First Resources, Indofood Agri Resources, Kencana Agri, TSH Global Plantation, TSH Oversea and Wilmar International.

Golden Agri Resources, which owns Golden Agri International, had earlier pledged to cooperate with the authorities.

In an October 29 filing to the Singapore Exchange, the company said it and its subsidiary would “cooperate fully and transparently” in providing information requested by NEA.

The assessments are intended to determine whether the companies have any connection to the fires, rather than establish guilt in advance.

The outcome could prove significant for Singapore’s efforts to enforce its transboundary haze legislation, which seeks to hold companies accountable for pollution originating beyond its borders.